Official Launch of the JODI-Gas World Database

7 Jul 2014

On 16 May 2014, the JODI Partners publicly launched the JODI-Gas World Database during a special plenary session of the 14th IEF Ministerial meeting in Moscow, Russian Federation. The road towards the launch of JODI-Gas began with calls in 2008 from IEF Ministers for the extension of the JODI-Oil platform to cover natural gas. The launch of JODI-Gas, which involves the monthly coordination of hundreds of stakeholders along the global energy data supply chain, represents yet another concrete outcome of the producer-consumer dialogue.

In Moscow, the Heads of JODI Partner Organisations met prior to the launch to take stock of their shared progress, to discuss numerous aspects of JODI-Oil and JODI-Gas that require on-going attention, and to prepare for the launch of the JODI-Gas World Database. For the occasion, the IEF led the development of a new JODI website that features information on oil, gas and overall energy data transparency. The new website allows visitors to easily access both the JODI-Oil and JODI-Gas databases, JODI manuals and other resources, further reinforcing the transparency that underpins all aspects of the Initiative.

The IEF also led the creation of a brief video that was shown at the IEF14, which explains JODI’s journey from concept to reality.

Background: Origins of JODI

Oil-market volatility and uncertainty have presented a challenge through time to both producers and consumers. The lack of information on market fundamentals became a point of focus during the late 1990s, as producers and consumers acknowledged that it contributed to this volatility. To address this challenge, in 2000 Ministers at the 7th International Energy Forum Ministerial in Riyadh called for improved transparency and better oil data. Six international organisations: APEC, Eurostat, the IEA, OLADE, OPEC and the UNSD answered that call and agreed to work together to enhance market data transparency. And so in April 2001, the Joint Oil Data Exercise was launched. Its first goal was to ask countries to complete a harmonised oil data questionnaire. There were some doubts about whether or not the countries would respond, but just 12 months after inception, 70 countries were submitting monthly oil data--representing 90% of global oil supply and demand. And so this energy data transparency exercise began to take root and grow. In January 2005, following enthusiastic endorsement from Energy Ministers, the IEF secretariat assumed responsibility for coordinating JODI.

Why a JODI-Gas database?

The success of the JODI-Oil World database led Ministers to call for JODI to cover natural gas. From an exercise created in 2009, JODI-Gas became a permanent initiative in October 2012, with 52 countries submitting regularly gas data through a questionnaire similar to the one used by the 100 countries contributing to JODI-Oil. In April 2014, JODI welcomed a new Partner: the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF). The member countries of the eight JODI-Gas Partners now represent around 90% of global gas supply and demand.

JODI: worldwide cooperation for energy transparency

The success of JODI-Oil and JODI-Gas is primarily a function of the cooperation of oil and gas companies, participating countries, and the JODI Partners, who all work together to enhance energy data transparency - with the ultimate goal of promoting energy security for producers, consumers and transit states alike.

The Host and Co-Host Concluding Statement from the 14th IEF Ministerial included a call for a more inclusive JODI-Energy, which would cover all major sources of energy, and is currently being analysed by the relevant stakeholders.